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Posted on: September 6, 2017

City Joins Forces with Elliotsville Plantation to Create Parks Conservancy

The City of Portland and Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. are pleased to announce their ongoing collaboration to create a conservancy in Portland that supports municipal parks, trails, and open spaces. A six-member steering committee, which includes a representative from the City and a past Chair of the Parks Commission, will kick off a series of meetings starting tonight to determine the structure and implementation plan of the conservancy. The meetings are open to the public and meeting dates and locations will be posted online on the City of Portland’s website.

Lucas St. Clair of Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. initiated the effort to create a parks conservancy in Portland this summer after a series of conversations with local stakeholders. Private foundations and conservancies to support municipal parks have grown in number across the country. These foundations engage the philanthropic and business communities in their municipalities to bolster the sustainability and ensure the success of local parks. Lucas St. Clair heard from many residents that a similar initiative in Portland could prove successful.

Members of the steering committee include Sally Deluca, Director of the City of Portland’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Diane Davison, Executive Director of Friends of the Eastern Promenade and a former Chair of the Portland Parks Commission, and other stakeholders and opinion leaders in the greater Portland area. Simon Thompson will lead the committee’s efforts on behalf of Elliotsville Plantation, Inc.

“Portland is lucky to have such an extensive and well-maintained parks system,” said Lucas St. Clair, President of Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. “This conservancy will aim to continue our tradition of treasuring public space and to encourage even more Portlanders to take advantage of all that Portland has to offer.”

“We at the City of Portland are excited to see this community-led effort come together to support our parks and open spaces,” said Sally Deluca, Director of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities. “I look forward to engaging in the work of the steering committee and building a strong private-public partnership that will be around for generations to come.”

“I began speaking with Lucas about this idea several months ago, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see it moving forward,” said Dory Waxman, Chair of the Portland Parks Commission. “I know that the work thus far has been collaborative and inclusive, and I appreciate the effort to continue that moving forward.”

Additional information will be posted soon on the City’s Parks Department webpage.